Refuge
by Galux Phoenix
Summary: O.C. X-0ver Post Chosen-Faith decides to track down what is left of her real family, she finds her cousin Ryan in Newport. But what happens when she turns up on the Cohen's dorrstep? Please Review.


**Refuge.**

By Galux Phoenix 

**Summary:** (Post Chosen) Faith decides that she needs to find her roots again and seeks out the only refuge and friend she had ever really known- her cousin Ryan, but what happens when she turns up on the Cohen's doorstep?

**Disclaimer:** If I owned anything apart from random plot ideas I wouldn't be sitting here on now would I? Didn't think so.

I hope you like it people, reviews would be most welcome so feel free to leave one saying nice stuff or not I don't care.

Have fun reading guys!

**_AN:_ It might be a little slow at the start of the chapter but hopefully it should pick up a bit towards the end.**

**_AN 2: _This takes place after Chosen and possibly towards the beginning of Season one of O.C. possibly towards the middle even. Once again I repeat I am not sure so cut me a bit of slack if it's jumbled.**

Faith sighed, eyes still glued to the television set opposite her. She had been watching that TV for what seemed (and probably was) days on end, after she had slept for that promised week all she really did was watch TV in the hotel room Angel was paying for.

Faith needed to get out of the hotel room and she knew it, but it was almost impossible to find the motivation. She sighed again and once again focused on whatever trashy midday movie she was currently watching.

She didn't even notice Willow walk into the room until she had turned to TV off. "I was watching that!"

Willow raised an eyebrow at Faith, who rubbed a hand over her face. "Okay so I wasn't really watching, but that gives you no good reason to turn it off."

"Uh huh. And having you sit there and mooch off Angel's hospitality wasn't a good reason?" Willow told her with a roll of her green eyes.

"Point taken." Faith stood up and stretched before looking down at herself. She gave Willow an embarrassed half smile and tugging at the hem of her shirt. "The past three days, huh?"

"Yep. And I'm not sure you've showered in that time either."

"Guess that while I feel so greasy and gross," Faith said as she ran a hand through her hair. "Did you guys figure anything out at the crazy meeting thing you had?"

Willow smiled sadly. "Most of us are going to England to set up a new Watchers Council. You can come if you want to. No one will mind."

Faith shook her head. "I wouldn't be able to stay. Me and Watchers just don't mix. You should know that, Red." Faith's mind flashed back to what she did to Wesley when she had first come to LA.

"That's true, but you'll always be welcome with us. You're kinda a family member now, anyway."

They smiled sadly at each other, remembering when Faith was the enemy and what they had ended up going through together to become that family.

"I'm sorry you know, Willow. For everything. For everything I ever did wrong."

"Yeah, I know, Faith. And you've been forgiven for it. Families forgive mistakes. I should know, shouldn't I?"

"Yeah, guess you're right, Will." Faith shook her head as if to clear it. "I'll talk to Angel and see if I can figure something out. You guys go make arrangements without me. I might stay here for a few days and figure myself out, 'kay?" She gave Willow a soft smile.

"It's okay. We'll probably be leaving the day after tomorrow. I've gotta go finalise some details with Giles, so I'll see you later, Faith."

"See you later, Red," Faith told Willow as she closed the door behind her.

As soon has Willow had gone faith was in the shower scrubbing herself clean of the grease and oil that had built up on her skin. Relaxing as streams of water ran down her body rinsing clealn all her troubles.

After her rather long and blasting hot shower Faith sat on the hotel room bed looking down at all her belongings spread out around her.

There wasn't much there; couple pairs of pants, a few shirts mainly tank tops, pyjamas, and two photos. She sighed and ran a finger along the edge of one photo. It was of her at fifteen years of age with her cousin Ryan who was a couple years younger than she was. She had been spending a couple of weeks with his family while on holiday away from Boston before school started again.

She gave an humourless smirk. "Family, huh?" she murmured to herself.

That was when it struck her. She would track down one of the only real friends she had. Her cousin. Ryan Atwood.

The next day Faith had gone to Angel and Wolfram and Hart to see if they could help her track down Ryan. Angel had looked for him and found him still in California, but then he had sent her to Gunn for some reason. Something about a legal process or something like that.

When she had walked into Charles Gunn's office she couldn't help but noticed how good he looked in that perfectly tailored grey suit. Gunn had undergone a lot of changes lately. New legal brain upgrade, breaking up with Fred and in Faith's opinion becoming even more hot than before.

"Yo, Gunn. Angel said something about something about Ryan. Then he said I should talk to you," Faith told him as she made herself comfortable in one of the leather seats in front of his desk.

"Yeah. Apparently, your cousin has been almost arrested, his older brother is in prison and his mother has left again." At that Faith sat up straight and unhooked her legs from over the chair's arms.

"Why's Trey in prison? I didn't think he was that kind of person." Faith shook her head at her older cousin and the things he had done.

"Attempting to steal a car. First offence so he will be out in a couple of years. Ryan was there but his lawyer got him off the charge considering he's a minor and that.

"'Kay then. Do you know where Ryan is at the moment?" When she finally met his eyes he saw just how determined she was to find this kid and how much she cared for his well being. But there was also something else there. Something that had nothing at all to do with Ryan.

"Newport. An hour or two south of here."

She stood up to leave and he moved towards her slightly and she took half a step closer to him, their bodies not even a foot apart

"Good. I leave tomorrow."

Three days later Faith was on the doorstep of Ryan's ex-girlfriend, Theresa's house. The house Faith could remember Ryan living in had been abandoned and another family had already moved in. Faith had walked away hurt and confused.

That was when she remembered one of Ryan's friends, Theresa and her brother, whom they had spent a lot of time with. Dragging in a ragged breath Faith lifted a hand and knocked on the door. It was opened cautiously.

In the doorway stood a woman of no more than eighteen, long dark hair fell just past her shoulders, grey tank top and tight jeans. "Teresa? Hi."

"Faith?" Theresa sounded surprised that Ryan's older cousin would just turn up on her doorstep.

"Yeah, that'd be me. How you been?" Faith relaxed slightly realising she wasn't going to be kicked out immediately.

"Okay, I guess. Had some up and some downs. You know." Faith nodded with conviction. "How 'bout you?"

"Yeah, it's been okay. How's the rest of the family?" Faith asked nodding over Theresa's shoulder to see her mother and brother standing there.

"You want to come in, Faith?" Theresa's mother offered.

"Yeah, that'd be nice. Thanks." Faith gave a smile as she walked into a house where so many good memories resided.

She walked out of that house couple hours later. Ryan had ended up doing something good for himself. Gunn had failed to mention anything about the lawyer Ryan had gotten for himself. Some guy called Sandy Cohen.

Deciding to use the facilities that Angel had at his disposal, she took out the cell phone she had gotten. She dialled a number she had committed to memory.

"Gunn? Yeah, it's me, Faith. I need a bit of help on something."

"What with, Faith?" To Faith, Gunn even sounded hot over the phone.

"I need to address of a guy called Sandy Cohen. Ryan's lawyer apparently." She couldn't help the trace of bitterness that was in her voice at Gunn for withholding information.

"Uh huh, got it here. Okay, you ready for this?" Faith grunted and dug a pen out of the bag she had with her. She wrote the address on the inside of her arm and said goodbye to Gunn before hanging up.

Faith stood there and took a few deep breaths. She was so close. Finally, she got back onto the bike Angel had let her use and revved the engine before hooning down the streets of suburbia.

Seth Cohen had only been home from school for about half an hour before the doorbell rang. Seth looked up and around to see if Ryan was going to open the or if he had to get up, which in fact he did.

"You're closer, Seth," Ryan said before he could open his mouth.

He sighed and made his way though the house and to the door while Ryan wandered off to the kitchen. Still muttering about anything and everything Seth yanked the door open.

He was pretty shocked at what he saw.

Black leather pants, white tank top that revealed and inch of skin and dark denim jacket. That was also when Seth noticed the black boots and motorcycle parked in his driveway.

"I'm gonna go on a whim and say you've probably got the wrong address," was the only thing he managed to stutter out.

"This the Cohen's place?" Seth nodded mutely. "Then I'm at the right place."

She gave him a very pointed look and after a few moments he realised he was blocking the doorway. "Sorry," he murmured as he stepped aside.

"Uh huh." Seth watched this woman invite herself into his house and start poking around. "Nice place you got."

"Yeah, and I want to keep it that way." But she wasn't listening and just kept walking around and eventually found the kitchen.

That was where she stopped.

Ryan had been sitting at the kitchen table drinking his freshly made coffee and flipping though the day's newspaper. He wasn't concerned about who was at the door. Seth would take care of it if it didn't concern him. Ryan had heard the voices move closer to the kitchen. Then he heard the voice of a woman who sounded extremely familiar but completely different.

Ryan looked up to see the woman standing in the kitchen doorway. There was a sad awareness in her eyes. The look of a person who had seen too much, too young.

That was when he recognised her. The dark brown hair, brown eyes, heck even that glower, the one that said she was better than you.

"Faith?" Ryan stood up never taking his eyes of the woman who was barely twenty-five years old.

"How have you been doing, Ryan?" He even remembered exactly how her voice sounded.

"Why are you here, Faith? Do you need money? What?" He meant to sound kinder than that but instead it came out cold and clipped. Seth looked over her shoulder as she shook her head and raised an eyebrow at Ryan who ignored him.

"No. I came here to apologise. I shouldn't have left like I did. It wasn't meant to go down that way. Things went crazy back home and I couldn't stay here any longer. I just had to say sorry. So, sorry." She gave him a sad look. "I'll go if you want me to. I learned to pick up on whether or not I'm wanted."

Ryan watched as the most ironic and bitter smirks came over his cousin's lips. "You know, it was really great to know you're doing better than the rest of us. I'll see you around sometime."

Faith had turned and started to walk past Seth when Ryan called out her name. "Faith, wait. I didn't mean it like that, you should know that. A lot's happened recently." He could have sworn she smirked again.

"I know what that's like. So what changed for you, kid?"

That was when Seth started to get confused and finally interrupted. "Um. I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who the heck _are_ you?"

All he got was two eyebrows raised and humour filled eyes of two completely different people and the promise that things would never, _never,_ be the same.

Okay Dokay! That's pretty much the first chapter I do hope you liked it cuz I had fun writing it! REVIEW ME PLEASE!****Please all feedback is welcomed and appreciated with open arms. Feel free to give me any ideas about what I should write about in the future otherwise I might run out of ideas and not update anymore which is always sad.

Or if you want give me any ideas for another title cuz I'm not too sure I like the one I already have.

Love ya all!! Galux Phoenix.


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